As the offseason will start to heat up over the next month, some of the biggest issues for the Dallas Cowboys will be on defense, but they might have a hole or two to also fill on the offensive side of the ball.

Travis Etienne, the Jaguars running back, is set to be an unrestricted free agent.

Even though Javonte Williams had a bounce-back season with 1,201 yards and scored 13 touchdowns in 16 games in 2025, will he want to be back in Dallas?

He will be looking for a new deal, and if that does not come from the Cowboys, what do we think the plan will be at running back, well I know who I like.

Travis Etienne

I am not sold on the fact that Malik Davis could be an every down back for this team, and if they can get George Pickens to re-sign and keep him on the team, a name to keep an eye on is Travis Etienne.

Dallas is considered a top potential landing spot for free-agent running back Etienne in 2026, with Spotrac projecting a two-year, $13.6 million contract.

As a dynamic playmaker, the 27-year-old could replace Williams and bring explosive versatility to the Cowboys’ offense under Brian Schottenheimer.

Etienne has quietly been one of the most productive running backs in football over the last few years, posting three 1,000-yard campaigns in his first four seasons.

The 27-year-old is also incredibly reliable, missing just two games in his career so far and playing all 17 games in three separate seasons.

Depending on who they retain, here are some UFA I think Dallas could take a look at:

S – Coby Bryant, Kevin Byard
CB – Alontae Taylor, Jamel Dean, Eric Stokes
EDGE – Jaelan Phillips, Kwity Paye
LB – Kaden Elliss, Quincy Williams
RB – Travis Etienne

— Bobby Belt (@BobbyBeltTX) January 4, 2026

Dallas drafted Jaydon Blue in the 5th round of the draft a season ago, and he was a scratch in nearly 95% of the games.

He finished the year with five games played, 38 rushing attempts for 129 and one touchdown. He is a fast running back and his longest run of the year only went for 27 yards, not good.

It also would not surprise me if Jerry tried to go cheap at this position, though, and roll with Blue and Davis hoping they can get any type of production, yet we saw how badly this worked out when they did this a few years ago.

They have had Tony Pollard, Rico Dowdle and Williams the last few years, and they have not been able to hold onto any of them, they need to keep a productive running back in the building, and if they can’t bring Williams back, Travis is perfect for this offense.

The last thing I want them to do is waste the 12th overall pick on Jeremiyah Love and if he falls to the Cowboys at 12, do not be surprised if Jerry Jones punches us all in the face and drafts him.

If that happens, then we will be wondering how in the heck they are going to fix the worst defense in the league.

Sure, you get a rookie running back who finished his 2025 junior season as a 2025 AP First-Team All-American with exceptional numbers, including 1,372 rushing yards (6.9 ypc), 18 rushing touchdowns, and 1,652 all-purpose yards, but the offense scored 30 a game last season and could only win 7 because they couldn’t stop me if I was on the other offense!

End of the day, Dallas should have a busy offseason. If they don’t, we are going to hear Jerry Jones say the same things next season when the Cowboys fall short of the end goal.

I am so tired of writing about this same stuff and him saying he understands how frustrated we are, and yet he does nothing to fix it, he just talks about it.

NFL free agency officially begins at 4 p.m. ET on Wednesday, March 11, marking the start of the new league year when trades and signings become official. A “legal tampering” negotiation period opens earlier on March 9 at Noon ET, allowing talks with agents.

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